Calif. mayor resigns over tossing dog poop into yard

In this June 7, 2014 file image from from a security video, Dennis Kneier, the mayor of San Marino, Calif., tosses a bag of dog waste onto the property of his neighbor, in San Marino, Calif. T(Photo: AP)

A California mayor has stepped down after he was caught on video tossing a bag of dog poop into a neighbor's yard.

"It's caused embarrassment to this city, and as a result it affects my ability to lead the council," Dennis Kneier, the mayor of San Marino, said in an interview with NBC4 in Los Angeles. His resignation went into effect Tuesday.

On June 7, Kneier said he was walking home when he found the bag on a parkway, picked it up and tossed it onto a neighbor's walkway. The original owner of the bag of waste is not known.

Kneier had apologized, saying he should have properly disposed of the bag.

Neighbor Philip Lao said he recognized Kneier on the surveillance tape and called the police. Kneier was cited for littering, which can carry a fine of up to $1,000.

Lao said he thought Kneier had intentionally tossed the bag onto his property in response to Lao putting up a "No Poop Zone" sign outside his home and for Lao's opposition to a dog park in the city, The Los Angeles Times reports.